Mementos
by RosalieThropp
Summary: "Slade felt his heart racing at the discovery: home videos. He had to see those videos; he had to see her" - Slade/Shado - One-shot (maybe two-shot). Rating K.


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing besides this story. Never have, and sadly never will.

**A/N:** This is 100% un beta-ed, all mistakes are mine, so bear with me. Also, keep it in mind **english is NOT my first language**, so...grammar/coherence mistakes are bound to happen. Just let me know nicely and I'll fix it.

**A/N 2:** My first Slade/Shado fic ever. Please keep that in mind while reading it. Also, please keep it mind that Slade Wilson is a really hard character to write.

Also, its 2am here, so...

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

"How did you say you've met miss Liūng?" the suited lawyer had asked him casually, taking a sip of his fuming wonton soup.

"We met a few years ago when I was spending some time in Shangai" he said simply, looking at his watch "Is miss Jiāng going to be here soon?"

"We'll meet her in the apartment in about half an hour" the young man, probably in his early thirties, wiped his mouth and smiled at Slade, unfazed "So, Mr. Wilson I have to ask, what exactly are you hoping to find here? Miss Liūng has been missing for over 4 years, maybe more"

No, not missing.

Dead.

Miss Liūng has been _dead_ for years.

Slade swallowed the lump in his throat, his hands closing in tight fists as images flashed right in front of his eyes. His nails dug into his palms, and any other person would have drawn blood.

But not Slade.

"We were close" he managed to croak. He wanted to say "we were in love" but it would have been pathetic; between him and Shado, he knew he was in the only one actually in love.

However, his statement had the desired effect, because the man gave him a sad, sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry to hear that" he said taking another sip of his soup, making Slade grunt in displeasure.

It infuriated him the man seemed to be enjoying his meal instead of getting to the point. That was why they were meeting in the first place.

Taking a small breath and un-clenching his fists, Slade held his hands in a triangle over his nose and mouth as he leaned slightly towards the table

"Mr. Lee" he managed in a neutral, controlled tone "if you don't mind, I'd like us to get into business" he leaned back in his chair and intertwined his fingers, resting his hands on his lap "sooner rather than later, if you don't mind"

The young lawyer stopped mid-sip and put the small bowl back on the table, pushing it away discreetly under Slade's powerful gaze.

"Of course, Mr. Wilson" he fumbled on a briefcase for a while before pulling a manila folder "Shado Liūng, deceased. Daughter of Shuang and Yao-Fei Liūng. Born may 28 1986. Single, graduated in law school. Had started pre-med school in 2006, was proficient in martial arts, used to do yoga twice a week. Had dinner every Tuesday at a small restaurant across her building with her parents. Went missing in 2007, and legally presumed dead in 2009" he looked up to see Slade's face contorted in a grimace. Unconformable, he looked down at his files once more, he continued "as I told you over the phone, I don't have much information about her after her disappearance. No idea who took her nor why"

Slade nodded silently, suppressing a bored sigh; he wanted information about something he didn't know already.

"Her mother reported her disappearance back in 07, only a week after she was last seen. Police never found anything and the case was filed in late 2009 after her mother's passing" Lee explained, his eyes still on the files.

"Her mother has passed away?" Slade's face softened.

"I'm afraid so" Lee looked over the files again "after losing her daughter, Misses Liūng suffered from severe clinical depression"

Slade nodded once more, nor trusting his voice.

"Mr Wilson" Lee said in a sudden firm tone "I must warn you my client's orders were explicit: the apartment had to be kept the exact way her daughter left it. Nothing is to be removed from it."

"Of course, Mr. Lee" Slade said in a condescending tone.

The younger man's gaze suddenly became deeply serious

"I mean it. I wasn't even supposed to let you in, but…" he sighed.

"But?" Slade asked with a grunt

Lee shook his head in dissatisfaction.

"But you're the only one who ever came to look for her in five years" he sighed "so I thought I owned it to her, since you seem like you cared so deeply for her".

Slade felt his throat tighten

"I still do" he admitted, so low he wasn't sure the other man had heard him.

"Shall we meet miss Jiāng, then?"

* * *

"Mei Ling" Lee introduced the young girl, who had been distracted by her phone as she waited for them to arrive "This is Slade Wilson"

The girl, probably about the same age as Shado would be, gave him a small smile as she shook his hand.

"Mr Wilson" she looked in between Lee and Slade "it's a pleasure to meet you. But I must say I was surprised when Tai called" she looked back at Lee once more "Shado had never mentioned you" her smiled faded as she mentioned her friend, her fair skin becoming even paler.

"I guess our friendship was somehow…recent, you might say" Slade said mysteriously, and Mei Ling gave him a puzzled look.

Slade dashed her a smile and she looked away, reaching for a key that seemed to have fallen deeply into her purse.

"Well…You sure you wanna do this?" she asked then, opening the door of the building.

"Yes" Slade said promptly as they ascended the stairs

"You must have cared for her very much" Mei ling said, her back still turned at him "to come all this way just for an old apartment and dusty boxes"

"I did" he admitted, and she turned around just to give him a sad smile.

They reached the second floor and Mei Ling unlocked the door, but didn't push it open

"I haven't been here in while" she confessed "I mean, I did help to pack up her things and eventually came here with Ms. Liūng , but I usually didn't stay long enough for the memories to kick in" she let out a humorless laugh "I don't know if I can. Come here for Shado, I mean. To tell you the truth, if Ms. Liūng hadn't asked me to help her clean a few things, I don't think I'd ever be back here. The funeral was hard enough"

"There was a funeral for her?" Slade asked, his voice solemn.

It seemed an odd thing to be happy about, but he was glad they'd remembered her, celebrated her for one last moment; he figured Shado would have liked that.

"Soon after she was considered…you know…legally deceased " Mei Ling bit her lip to stop if from trembling.

"You guys were close friends?" Slade asked, eager to learn everything he could about Shado.

"Yeah" she nodded, sighing "we were friends since kindergarten. She never mentioned me?" the girl questioned, disappointed.

"She mentioned her best friend several times" he lied with ease cause he knew that was what she wanted to hear "I just didn't knew it was you"

She gave him a small smile.

"It doesn't surprise me. Shado was always very private. Especially with her boyfriends in the beginning of the relationship. Guess that explains why I hadn't heard about you before"

Slade's face fell

"I…I wasn't her boyfriend" he said, his voice hoarse.

Mei Ling shook her head and giggled

"Yeah, right" she then looked deeply into his eyes "why would you be here, then?"

"It's complicated"

"I'm sure it is" she quipped "what difference does it make now, Mr. Wilson?" she questioned, but her smiled soon faded, tears brimming her eyes for the first time.

"I loved her" Slade said "very much. Is that reason enough, Miss Jiāng?"

Mei Ling swallowed her tears.

"That's the only acceptable reason, Mr. Wilson" she touched the doorknob again, hesitantly "you do know we shouldn't even be here, right?"

"Mr Lee made me very aware of that" Slade guaranteed "may I ask why, though?"

Mei Ling looked down for a few seconds before looking up at Lee, her hand slipping from the door handle.

"I'll wait for you guys downstairs" he said as he excused himself, noticing his presence was no longer needed.

She sighed and looked at Slade again

"Her mother…" she started, her words in a sad, melancholic tone "she believed Shado would come home. She was sure she would. That's why she never sold the apartment, she barely boxed Shado's things. She wanted everything to the remain the way she left it, for the day she'd come back"

The young girl's words hit him harder than they should, the pain and frustration he'd been working so hard to keep in coming back to him like a tempest. Slade's breathing was heavy and he had to use every ounce of self control to not snap right there. He wanted to punch a wall, or shoot someone and maybe even find the damn kid and break his neck.

But he couldn't. Especially because now he felt so close to her. In her home. Around her friends, her things.

God, he missed her.

"…which is really sad, isn't it?" Mei Ling questioned, not noticing Slade was no longer paying attention to wherever it was she saying.

Slade snapped out of his thoughts.

"Yeah" he agreed, even though he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Look, I don't think I can get in there" Mei Ling said apologetically "and I think you want a moment alone, so…" she turned the doorknob and pushed it open, taking a step back so he could walk into.

Gathering the courage that rarely failed him, he forced himself to cross the short hallway and enter her apartment, suddenly overwhelmed by how hard it seemed to me.

He'd wanted to come. He thought it would be the right call, getting to know her, being able to feel so close to her memory.

But now that he was really there, inside the place that was his home, he realized just how hard it was. The whole idea was insane and there was no superstrength that could make him less vulnerable to the crashing feeling that consumed him the moment he stepped foot on her place.

The small sound of Mei Ling closing the door behind him snapped him back to his senses, and only them he took in the surroundings.

All the walls were painted in light colors, the sun reflecting through the cream colored curtains giving the room a calm, soothing look.

It was very much like her, Slade thought. Peaceful, calm and soothing. He could actually feel her in the empty room, like little traits of her were still there; even with all the boxes and sheet covered furniture.

For a place that's been locked up for years, there was only a thin layer of dust covering coating the sheets, and he promptly removed them all.

Oh yes, that was definitely her place. Her personality was all around.

From the design of her couch to the off white colors of the walls, they it all screamed her name. Whether the place really had a lot of Shado still in it or it was his just mind looking too much into it, he didn't care.

There were still a few old picture frames that hadn't been boxed yet sitting on one of the shelves above her television, and the simple image of her smiling at him from the picture was enough to bring tears to his eyes.

There she was, smiling.

With friends, by herself, with her parents, and even with a puppy.

It amazed him her smile seemed to remain the same; while on the island she had the same bright smile as on the pictures, despite the atrocity of their situation. Sure, those smiles were indeed rare, but still, he was astonished at how lively she always managed to be.

It was something that was always on his mind; the way she had been light while in the darkness of Lian Yu.

She was light of his life.

Feeling a single tear run down his cheek, he quickly wiped it and grabbed the frame, removing the picture of her sitting happily amidst the flowers at Yu Garden, and keeping it on the inside pocket of his suit. Sighing, he turned around and hid the empty picture frame in one of the boxes containing kitchenware.

The sight of the half opened door of what he believed to be her room caught his attention next.

Feeling his throat tighten, he moved carefully, lingering a little longer in the living room before actually entering the bedroom.

Contrary to the rest of the apartment, her room was entirely packed up in boxes, leaving only the bed, an empty dresser and a few Chinese adornments that had once decorated the room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Slade felt a new wave of sorrow overcoming him as he ran a hand over the now dusty mattress, imagining her there, sleeping peacefully on her bed, not a worry in the world.

He imagined himself alongside her too, the smell of her skin invading his senses as he kissed her neck. The way her dark brown hair would spill over the pillows as she lazily stretched herself.

His mind was playing a torturous game of "what could have been" and he knew that if he stayed there long enough it would drive him to insanity.

Forcing himself off her bed, Slade moved to explore the boxes that covered the floors around her bed.

Books – all in Chinese – that he couldn't quite figure; a collection of heels and a few combat boots; more books; tons of paper and little keepsakes he didn't knew what it meant, and boxes and boxes full of clothing.

He was about to set those aside when he spotted the one green scarf in between her dresses. He picked it up, bringing it to his nose to inhale the scent of her.

To any other person it would only smell like an old and musty scarf.

But not to him.

He knew it was probably his mind playing games with him once more but he could swear he could still smell the floral, sweet scent of her skin.

It was one of the other things that amazed him, how she always managed to smell nice, even while stranded on a deserted island.

He recalled Oliver teasing her about it once, when they were being all lovey dovey and didn't realized Slade was watching them.

_"My mother taught me how to extract essential oils from leaves" she said smugly, earning her a kiss from the kid, making Slade's stomach turn._

Slade pressed the scarf to his chest, but wasn't able to fight the urge to kick some of those boxes around him, sending one of them across the room.

Frustrated at the mess, he moved to put it back in place when the contents of it caught his attention.

An album.

Slade opened it and took a look at the pictures.

A baby album.

Tears pricked at the back of his eyes once more.

Going thought the pages of the album, he came across the most adorable baby pictures he had ever seen. He didn't even care if Mei Ling or anyone else caught him with that goofy smile on his face.

The pictures went from newborn up to her pre-teens, he figured.

Setting the album aside and going through the rest of the stuff on the box, he found a couple of tapes, that evolved into CDs.

Slade felt his heart racing at the discovery.

_Home videos._

He had to see those videos; he had to see _her_.

Moving to the dresser, he hid the album, tapes, scarf and CDs on the bottom drawer.

He'd come back for it later at night, when he was alone. He didn't even care if it was madness.

Slade had already lost her. Those mementos were the only memories of her he had left. He wasn't going to lose them too.

* * *

**Continuity: **A lot of what I wrote may not make sense in the actual story-line. I have no idea if Shado lived in Shangai or not, among other things that might be incoherent. Just go with it ;)

**Acknowledgements:** I know nothing about Chinese culture whatsoever. All the mentions to any kind of Chinese/Asian culture came straught from Google. I did not mean to be disrepectuful at any moment.

Thanks for reading!


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